The Magic of Hate, Lust and Love
by Vipera berus
Summary: What happens after Draco and Hermione missed the Hogwarts Express...together? That's not all though, as the new Head Girl, she gives detention to Draco but has to supervise it herself. That's where all the troubles begin... Chapter 4 redone!
1. The Summer of Sorrow

**Author's Note:** Hey y'all! I thought I'd rewrite this chapter and make it a bit longer, alright? Hope you like this version better, 'cause I do!!! :) Anyway, enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Harry Potter, the books belongs to JK! Thought you knew that?

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**The Magic of Hate, Lust and Love**

Chapter 1: The Summer of Sorrow

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"Oh mother, look at this! It's absolutely wonderful! I've never ever seen anything like this before! I love it! It is the perfect Graduation dress, mother! Can I have it, please Mum, please?" Hermione Granger pleaded her mother as she stood gracefully in front of a body-length mirror in a small design shop in the middle of Muggle London. She danced around a bit, looking at her reflection as it danced with her.

She was beaming with happiness as she surveyed the pretty girl in the mirror wearing a very elegant and feminine dress. It was a milky white dress made of thin, see-through material with a light pinkish petticoat underneath that prevented the topmost layer from exposing unnecessary skin through it. The upper part of the dress was tight and hugged her curves, leaving her shoulders bare and giving her a small cleavage and it flowed freely and loosely down a bit past her knees to a laced hem, like a waterfall on a warm midsummer day. The sleeves were elbow-length with laces at the ends as well. It was light and perfect.

"It's perfect for Graduation, dear, I agree with you." Mrs Granger said to her daughter as she stood behind Hermione, looking at both their reflections over Hermione's shoulder.

They were both smiling broadly, with the same smile that exposed white teeth and the same light brown and curly hair that came down to the mid-back on Hermione and to the shoulder on Mrs Granger. The same facial features were visible and anyone could figure out that these two were related. (Exception was the colour of their eyes; Hermione's eyes were a deep brown when Mrs Granger's were a light greyish.)

"The other's will surely wear dark dress robes, but I can't seem to take my eyes off it, Mum, seeing that it's very beautiful yet very expensive!" Hermione said, giving a slight laugh with her soft voice. Her mother only smiled for a long while.

Suddenly Mrs Granger's eyes started to water and big glittering tears fell down on her cheeks from where they slid down onto Hermione's shoulder. The daughter turned quickly around to face her mother in worry.

"What's wrong? Do you think that this dress is that horrid?! Or – or is it too expensive?! Oh, Mum, I could always look for another one..." Hermione asked panicked with her eyebrows raised. But Mrs Granger shook her head fiercely, her curls bouncing onto her face before she threw her arms around Hermione's neck and started sobbing uncontrollably in her shoulder as Hermione patted her back with a slight smile on her face. "So you hate the dress that much, huh?" she asked quietly and received a slight laugh mixed with a sob from her mother.

"No, n-no…the d-dress is perfect, honey…" Mrs Granger answered as the tears continued to flow down her cheeks. She lifted her head to look at Hermione with a smile on her face before she inhaled deeply and said; "It's just t-that I can't imagine m-my little Hermione getting graduated…" she sobbed and lifted her arm to wipe the tears away from her eyes and cheeks with the sleeve of her blouse. "…I'd like it if you hadn't grown at all from an eleven year old little girl." she finished calmly, looking into her grown daughter's eyes.

Hermione gave a little chuckle and hugged her mother again saying; "It's OK, Mum, and I know that but you knew that I weren't going to stay as your little baby Hermione forever." they broke apart again, looking at each other closely.

"I wish you would." Mrs Granger said sadly, yet looking proudly at her. "You have grown so much and it scares me…." she said and sighed.

"There is nothing to be afraid of, mother. And growing is absolutely normal, I assure you, people tend to do that actually." Hermione said amused with a giggle to which her mother joined and they giggled together, hugging each other tightly.

When they broke apart once again, Hermione turned to the mirror, looking at her reflection which was smiling.

"Can I have this dress, Mum? Please?" Hermione asked her mother sweetly, looking at her mother's reflection now, which was looking at them both. "I really, really like it, no, I_ love_ it!" she said with pleading eyes.

Mrs Granger fake sighed and rolled her eyes at Hermione with a smile. "Oh, alright, if you love it so much, I might buy it for you…" she said amused as Hermione grinned happily and squealed excitedly before she hurried to the fitting room where her clothes lay in a messy pile on the floor.

She closed the door behind her and heard her mother sit down on a chair outside the fitting room she was in. Hermione started to tug off the dress slowly.

"Are you coming with my car or will you Apparate home?" Hermione heard her mother's voice ask her after a short while.

"I'm coming home with you, of course!" she answered immediately. "But I did think about visiting Diagon Alley first but since professor McGonagall hasn't sent me the booklist yet, even if I asked her personally to send it to me a bit earlier this year and she said that she might, you know, to practise for the NEWTs that are due this year." Hermione told Mrs Granger through the red curtain that separated them as she stood practically naked now when she had got the dress off of her.

She was only wearing a pair of small white knickers and a matching white lacy bra when she caught sight of herself in the mirror inside the fitting room. Still slightly busy-haired but not bucktoothed anymore, Hermione was sixteen years old, going for her seventh year at Hogwarts. She looked and felt just like any other girl in her age, except that she was a witch. Her skin was a little bit tanned after several spent hours under the sun on the balcony of their apartment, eating strawberries.

"You know what I was wondering one day not too long ago, Hermione?" came Mrs Granger's voice from outside the red curtain and Hermione snapped out of her thoughts, blushing furiously.

"What?" Hermione asked politely as she shook her head and averted her gaze from the mirror as she picked up her low cut jeans from the floor.

"I was wondering if you have had a boyfriend yet. I'm just curious to know, that's all. Of course I have my suspicions that tell me you have had _many_ but you've never told me about _them_." Mrs Granger told her, sounding curious and amused at the same time. Hermione put on her jeans and took her yellow top from the floor and pulled it over her head before answering.

"I haven't told you about my 'boyfriends'," Mrs Granger giggled when Hermione paused. "because there haven't been any, Mum." she finished slowly. She was not ashamed of the fact that she may be the only girl along with Eloise Midgen, who hadn't had any boyfriends during their Hogwarts years till this day, she was proud of it actually. She liked paying books and exams more attention than boys and make-up. Hermione took her dark blue jacket from the peg on the wall of the fitting room and put it on. "I did tell you about Viktor Krum, didn't I?" she added as an afterthought.

"Oh yes, but he wasn't a boyfriend, was he?" Mrs Granger asked.

"No. He wasn't." Hermione answered annoyed. "I'm glad things didn't go further with him." she said softly grabbing her bag and the dress she had been fitting, in one hand and dragged the red curtain aside with the other, stepping out with a smile directed towards her mother who stood up from the chair she had been sitting in.

"Why is that?" Mrs Granger asked, tilting her to the side. "I thought you liked him, Hermione? Besides, he sounded very nice and charming in the telephone –"

"When have you been talking to Viktor by telephone?" Hermione cut her off, asking this shocked, and staring at her mother with raised eyebrows.

"Oh Lord, didn't I mention it to you at all?" Mrs Granger said and clapped her hand on her mouth.

"No, you didn't!" said Hermione angrily when such piece of information was given to her, obviously quite late since she had stopped contacting Viktor Krum over a year ago.

"I'm so sorry, dear! I totally forgot as it was the Christmas holidays in your fifth year," Hermione rolled her eyes. Fifth year…hmm. "and we were just leaving for that skiing holiday the three of us but you had your OWLs that year and – and you stayed with the Weasley's, didn't you? Yes…I was a bit angry at you when you couldn't accompany us –"

"Mum. What does this have to do with Viktor?" Hermione said, cutting her off.

"Oh! I'm sorry I got a bit carried away…" Mrs Granger said smiling. "Well, anyway, he called that Christmas holiday in hope to speak with you, but obviously you were not home so we had a nice little chat. He had a low voice, which is very manly if I may say so." she told her daughter with a smirk. Hermione shook her head.

"He was and is, of course, four years older than me and mind you, I wasn't exactly ready for a relationship with an adult at the age of fifteen! But you're right about his voice, it is manly. Yet he wasn't my type _and_ he couldn't even pronounce my name correctly!" Hermione said hotly as they finally decided to move to the cash desk with the beautiful dress tightly clutched in Hermione's hand.

"And does that matter, honey?" Mrs Granger asked amused, receiving a cold glare from her daughter.

"Yeah, it does. I was _never_ aware of the fact that he was talking to me if he wasn't standing in front my eyes!" Hermione explained as her mother paid the dress to the cashier. Mrs Granger was handing over some Muggle money when she started giggle uncontrollably. "It's not funny! I mean it, mother!"

"I'm sorry, but that was funny and I do mean it, Hermione!" Mrs Granger said when she had stopped giggling and gave Hermione the dress which was now hers…Her eyes lit up and she beamed as he looked down at the paper bag, where the dress was, with satisfaction and a big grin on her face. "So I suppose it was a good purchase then?" she asked Hermione noticed the look in her eyes and the smile of her lips.

She was answered with a tight hug from Hermione and an excited laugh. "_Good?_ It's fabulous! I love it, love it, just love it! Thank you, Mum!" Hermione said and released her mother from the rib breaking hug.

"You're welcome, darling." Mrs Granger said with a smile. "Now let's get home. I promised your father we'd be home in time for an early dinner." she added and the two of them headed to the door of the shop, Mrs Granger pushing it open for her daughter and stepping out to the sunny summer street after Hermione, the sun blinding their eyes and the sound of a heavy traffic was heard from in front of them now.

The Muggles, unaware of the Magical World, were hurrying in many directions of the street which was decorated with different kind of shops in every size. There were no clouds on the clear blue sky and nothing could go wrong on that lovely day…

"I've got to go and get the car and I expect you to jump aboard right here, alright?" Mrs Granger said with a nod and started walking backwards away from Hermione, tossing her hair over her shoulder before she turned and hurried along the street, melting into the crowd.

"Thanks for the dress, Mum! Bye!" Hermione couldn't resist thanking her again as she held the paper bag tightly in her hand and lost the sight of her mother. Then she was alone. The Muggles who passed by were looking either happy because of the weather and the holidays, or irritated, due to the fact that some were working and probably couldn't stand the sight of these glad people. Hermione sighed deeply. They had no worries, these plain Muggles, only the money and the workload. These people were worrying too much. She smiled to herself, clutching the paper bag again, thinking what a purchase she had made with her mother. Hermione Granger had actually been shopping! And found something that she really loved, not books this time, but a dress, the most beautiful one that fitted her quite well…

Hermione looked up from the paper bag she had been staring at, only to see a grey Volvo, driving down the street towards the place where she stood. It was still a long way away but she got a strange feeling that everything was not right. She wasn't smiling anymore. She knew that something was wrong, something dreadful was about to happen.

Hermione started walking up the street to meet up with the grey Volvo, first walking slowly but the increasing her pace and never taking her eyes off the car. But before she could figure out what was wrong, she saw something really strange that was happening. A trail of shiny blue sparks was shot towards the grey Volvo from the sidewalk and suddenly the car was sliding down the street with a high speed towards a red double-decker bus which was crossing the road in front of Mrs Granger's car and then before Hermione could even understand what the hell was really happening, she stopped her walk to stare at the Volvo in horror and then –

CRASH!

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"NO!"

Hermione Granger awoke with a start, bolting up into a sitting position in her bed. She was panting heavily like she had been running for the past hour and her face gleamed with cold sweat in the early morning. The hue of the rising sun, shining through her lowered curtain into her room. Her hands were gripping her blanket so tightly that her knuckles were white and her fingernails were digging into her palms through the fabric.

_Not again…_ she thought because this dream or memory in this case, was repeating itself night after night.

Once she calmed down, her breath going back to normal and her hands letting their tight grip loose of the blanket, she lowered her head into her hands as silent tears flowed down her cheeks, soaking her bed sheets. Images flashed inside of her closed eyes and she opened them, preventing herself from seeing those things again.

It had happened three weeks ago. Only three weeks ago had her whole world crumbled as one of her strong supporters in life faded away into nothingness. Three weeks ago had been the last time she had been truly happy. Now, when she was going back to Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry for her last and most difficult year, had her mother left her sad and alone to grieve after her spirit. She was broken and no one could heal her…

She really didn't want to rise and return to Hogwarts that day, but what else had she left?

Hermione's once blooming and close relationship to her father was now only a shadow of what it had been before the fatal accident. Mrs Granger had always been the one who had stopped their fights and made them friends again, hugging and loving. That was nothing anymore. Hermione and her father had grown so much apart that one couldn't call them father and daughter who had had a great relationship once. Nowadays they seemed to fight over every little thing and these fights would always end up with Hermione running up to her room with a tearstained face and red puffy eyes from crying and her father to open a new bottle of beer cussing madly. They were no longer a family in her opinion.

But why didn't she have the courage to tell Harry and Ron, her very best friends, about the accident and her problems at home? Why was she acting that everything was OK in her letters that she sent to them? They thought that she had it well with her happy little family and cosy little house. Well, they were wrong and Hermione had not told them how wrong they really were…

Was she ready to go back to Hogwarts and pretend that everything was alright? To go back for a year at Hogwarts where all she could do was to cry and linger in sorrow? Perhaps it was better, than to stay home and do those same things.

Hermione kicked the blanket off her body and swung her feet over the edge of her bed and sat still for a moment. She had stopped crying now and she wiped the tears away with the sleeve of her pyjama before sighing deeply and looking around in her messy room.

Messy indeed, for all her clothes, books, quills, inkbottles, parchment rolls and other stuff lay sprawled across the dimly lit room and her Hogwarts trunk lay opened in one corner. Her wand was placed on the bedside table beside her alarm clock, which was not working. Hermione gazed at the wooden stick with a strange expression on her face and remembered the time when she had almost snapped it in two and let go of everything she held near. She wondered what she would be doing now if she would have done it. For one, she would not be going back to Hogwarts and secondly, she would just sit at home and do nothing at all. At least in Hogwarts she would be so busy with her school work that maybe she would have the chance to push some thoughts away. Hogwarts…a few hours and she would be heading towards the train station.

Hermione heard movement from the kitchen and guessed that her father must be up. She didn't really have the strength to rise up yet, so she lay down on her bed again and stared blankly at the ceiling above. Oh how she wished that her mother would still be alive… At times like these, she needed someone to hold her, to comfort her and to tell her soothingly that everything would be alright. Of course she knew that Harry and Ron would hold her, comfort her and tell her that everything would be alright, but somehow she felt that she needed more than that. Still that didn't explain why she hadn't told them about her family…

Till this day, she had read all the books over and over again only to expand her knowledge further. Sure she was going to be the Know-It-All once again but that didn't matter her at all. Somehow reading books made her forgot about her life for a while, it helped her to feel normal again, to be Hermione 'Bookworm' and 'Know-It-All' Granger again.

Hermione heard footsteps coming towards her room and stop outside the door.

"Are you awake, Hermione?" Mr Granger called from the other side of the door.

"Yeah…I'm awake, Dad." she replied hoarsely and turned her head to the door as it creaked open and Mr Granger's tired face looked at her as he stood in the door gap.

"Breakfast is ready, if you want it this early." he said with a sad tone in his voice. Hermione had tried to comfort him but he wouldn't let her.

"Thanks." she said softly and managed a small smile at him before the door was closed and she was alone once again.

She drifted back into her thoughts about Hogwarts and her last year. Why had her mother died just the summer before her last year and Graduation? Now she wouldn't see Hermione wearing her white silky dress she loved so much…

Hermione sighed and turned slightly so that she was looking at her bedside table where her wand and an alarm clock lay under a lamp. Suddenly she noticed that those weren't the only things that were above it. There, slightly out of sight behind her lamp, was a crumpled letter, with the Hogwarts crest on it. She reached out for it and remembered now what it was all about. Hermione opened it and took the parchment out in her hand and read it slowly as she lay on her back.

_Dear Ms Granger,_

_You have been selected as Head Girl for Hogwarts __school__ of __Witchcraft__ and Wizardry this year. Please note that this position is not to be taken lightly and that you will be trusted with a large amount of work and tasks, which you will be performing with the Head Boy ever so often along with your usual schoolwork…_

Hermione couldn't read further. A tear escaped her eye and she hugged the letter tightly to her chest.

Her mother would've been so proud of her. Little Hermione as Head Girl of Hogwarts, who would've guessed? (Who wouldn't have…?) She would be busier than she thought this year, now with Head Girl position and schoolwork.

As she lay there, holding the letter tightly and more salty tears, falling down from her eyes, she closed her eyes, thinking of Hogwarts, and fell asleep once again…

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_To Be Continued…_

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**Author's Note: **That was the first chapter, folks! Now I'd like you to review, please! :) It's going to be a long, good story, I promise!!! Sad beginning, I know, but this is going to be a Draco/Hermione romance fiction, so keep reading, you D/Hr fans!!! :)

Hugs! 3


	2. The Dragon and The Dark Lord

**Author's Note:** The second chapter! Glad I finally got it posted! I'm so sorry if it took too long, but since I'm concentrating on my Pirates of the Caribbean fic, I'm not so sure I'll be able to update this as often as I'd like to. My deepest apologies for that now, but if you beg me to try and update faster, I might do it. Oh, but that means that you have to review as well, which means that I'll be really happy when I hear your opinions of my first Harry Potter fan fiction. But PLEASE DON'T FLAME ME, flames aren't that nice you know, and I'm trying everything to keep the characters as J.K Rowling planned them from the beginning. Ok, you don't want to read anymore boring Author's Notes, so I'll let you get to the fic! Please be nice with me! :)

**Disclaimer: **I don't own a thing, unfortunately. It all belongs to J.K… Hmm, perhaps I'm lucky enough to own the plot? grins sheepishly

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**The Magic of Hate, Lust and Love**

Chapter 2: The Dragon and the Dark Lord

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As thunder crashed and lighting flashed, a large Mansion was illuminated up above on a gently sloping hill, surrounded by trees, bushes and pools which were created by the heavily pouring rain from the black sky. The clouds were thick and no light from the moon and stars was permitted through. It was quite late and midnight was creeping nearer and nearer by every time the clock ticked. The Mansion was old, very old, with tamed ivy growing against its walls. No human made sound emitted from the grounds, only the nature kept up its storm with the wind howling and the rain slapping against the glass windows.

When the thunder crashed down once more, it took several seconds before the lightning flashed, lighting up the otherwise completely darkness filled room. A pair of silver blue eyes stared unblinkingly into the mirror where the figure saw its reflection. A proud smirk spread across its facial features as the eyes surveyed the boy in the mirror. Clad in black robes with real silver clasps, Draco Malfoy brought his left hand to his blonde hair, letting it run through it slowly enough to make the mirror frown. The same hand on which forearm had the Dark Mark burned upon. When his hand dropped to his side once again, his hair fell over his eyes, obscuring his vision only slightly. This boy was powerful amongst many. And he knew this perfectly well. Often it would be when he used his charms or flashed one of his trademark smirks when he wanted to get his will.

"If you keep staring, young Master Malfoy, I fear that you might burn two eyeholes through me! And that's when you got something to stare through!" the mirror snapped suddenly, bringing him out of his self-centred thoughts. The Slytherin didn't bother to answer. It was a furniture, so why would he? "Aren't they waiting for you, dear? Shouldn't you be down, joining the adults in this – this meeting or whatever they're having?" the mirror asked curiously. "I thought you were invited?" it continued in its annoying feminine voice, which reminded him of someone he couldn't exactly place.

"Of course I was invited." Draco snapped right back at the mirror, or his own reflection as it looked like. "And they are waiting for me. Hopefully they'll send someone up for me as well." he said with a small smirk, hoping they would do that quickly. The mirror was wondering why this young man was being so – so annoyingly arrogant. Even a mirror wouldn't take his behaviour for long. "The important guest arrive later than the others, mirror, mirror on the wall." Draco added swiftly.

The mirror gave a odd sound, something between a snort of disbelief and a chuckle of amusement before it said to him; "And you are one of these important persons, deary?" it asked him and if it would have had eyebrows, they would have been raised high.

"Why wouldn't I be? In fact, I am the _only_ important person in this fucking building." Draco said, his smirk fading slowly. The mirror was silent for a while, thinking why he had to use such foul language. "Since prissy Potter landed my father in Azkaban, this place is becoming a hotel for the Death Eaters. I admit that it is pretty fucked up. Of course, I do have a few privileges which I wouldn't probably have unless Lucius lived behind bars," Draco said and squared his shoulder. Here he was talking to a mirror… Insane… Even Mudbloods were worth more attention than furniture, well, that wasn't true. Mudbloods were nothing more than filth on your shoes.

"What privileges are you talking about?" the mirror asked curiously, now reminding someone even more. Who was it? Why couldn't he place a finger on her?

"The Dark Lord seems to favour me a lot more than he ever favoured my father, which is fine by me actually." Draco answered. "The rest is none of your business," he said quickly and rubbed his neck. "although I can reveal that it has something to do with the Dark Lord's plans. He said he had great plans for me, for my future apparently. I guess I'll find out about it today…" he trailed off, staring at his pale sneering face. The mirror sighed.

"This meeting you're s'posed to go to today, I hear that it is important, so why are you slacking off? You should be going already. I'm sure they miss you if it indeed has something to do with your future, shouldn't you be hearing what they're planning for you?" the mirror said firmly. Draco thought about what it had said for a while. It was right. He wanted to be the first to know what happened in his future, in his life nonetheless.

"Yeah…I guess I should go." Draco said with a curt nod. He glanced once more at the mirror.

"Go! Quickly now! I have a bad feeling that they won't appreciate it when you're late this time, dear, I wonder if they have ever?" the mirror said. Draco smirked mockingly at what it had just said.

"I didn't know mirrors could feel anything." he said annoyingly. "But you're right. I should go now –"

Suddenly the door to his dark room flew open as another lighting flashed and thunder crashed somewhere beyond the clouds. Draco turned to the door and he could clearly see a woman's figure, leaning against the door frame, studying him silently. As his eyes grew used to the light coming from the corridor behind the woman, he could see her face. It had formerly been very pretty, he knew this. Her hair had sometime in her life been a thick dark veil over her head but now it was only the half of what it had been. Strands of her black hair fell over her thin face, obscuring her curious dark eyes which surveyed him. Azkaban had taken most of her beauty, but Draco recognised her nonetheless.

"Good evening Bellatrix." Draco said coldly, breaking the silence. Yes, this was Bellatrix Lestrange, his mother's lovely sister and his aunt. She was Voldemort's favourite Death Eater…after Draco that is. A smirk was twitching in the corner of his mouth but he suppressed it easily.

"Draco." Bellatrix said with a curt nod and looking at him coldly at first but then a smile spread across her face and she laughed. "Good to see you, boy! It's been a long time, Malfoy." she said, her voice different and cheery as she pushed herself away from the door frame and she stepped inside the dark room.

"It's only been three weeks and you already missed my handsome arse, Bella." Draco answered with a chuckle and walked to her and they shook hands fiercely.

"Hey, someone's gotta miss it, little baby Draco." Bellatrix said in a mock baby voice and a grin. "Since my sister's good-for-nothing husband isn't here to take care of his little child." she added mockingly. Draco rolled his eyes. She had to mock him every time they met. He was no child…

"I don't need Lucius to take care of me," he said sourly as they let go their hands. He was completely honest when he said that. He didn't need anyone to look after him like a babysitter. Although he respected his father very much and would be glad if he got out from Azkaban, he had never really taken care of Draco and that was fine by him. It made him feel independent when he had learned to get on his own and not under the eyes of his father. "I can take care of myself."

"I knew you were going to say that." Bellatrix answered with a shake of her head. "But I didn't come here to greet and laugh at you, Draco. You're late. Again." she said, stepping out of the room Draco right behind her. "Our Lord do not like it when you slack off." she continued. He closed the door and turned to look at her with a smirk.

"Funny. You talk just like a mirror." Draco said sarcastically as they started to walk down the corridor. "So he sent you to get me, did he?" Draco asked curiously cocking an eyebrow. Bellatrix glanced at him quickly.

"Yes, he did. The whole lot of them actually. They're all waiting for you, boy." she told him as the corridor grew darker and darker the longer they walked.

"Perfect." Draco mused with a smirk on his face.

"So it was all planned then? You wanted someone to come and escort you down and make sure you got a parade with it, until you made your grand entrance in front of the Dark Lord?" Bellatrix asked icily as annoyance grew inside her. Draco flashed her one of his handsomest smirks (if they all weren't the one and same…).

"Exactly. But I'm slightly disappointed not to see my parade, Bella." Draco said with a soft laugh as he thought what that would look like. Bellatrix rolled her eyes visibly. This child was _really_ arrogant, not t mention spoiled…

"Whatever…" she muttered and decided not to go in on that conversation once more. The corridor only continued as they walked in silence, their footsteps echoing along the empty hallway. The torches by the stone walls were the only sources of light and warmth and their breaths were almost instantly transformed into frost right in front of their eyes. It was the truth that the Malfoy Manor was a cold place…

They turned left around a corner and at the end of the corridor now facing them, were a pair of high oak doors, reaching the ceiling. They were brilliantly done with fine carvings of ancient words spread around on them as serpents encircled the sentences. They were spells of the Old. Dark Spells were written on this door and not a single person from the Light Side was able to get through. The handles were two large serpent heads with their forked tongues sticking out at Bellatrix and Draco. All the secret meetings were held behind these doors and as a traitor couldn't get through, the room was the safest for them.

"Shall we step inside so you can perform your grand entrance, Draco? But I doubt you'll wriggle in the spotlight before the end under his penetrating gaze. He's very angry. And that's _never_ a good sign." Bellatrix said to him once they stood in front of the doors.

"I think I can handle it." Draco answered with ease, not worried at all. "But there's only one way to find out for sure…" he said and pushed the doors open with both hands. Bellatrix jumped a step backwards and waiting for the younger to get inside before her.

A large beautiful dim lit room opened in front of them. It was dark with only sixteen torches burning by the walls, four by each wall, giving the room a hue of Dark Magic. The room would have been empty if the floor would not have been crowded with at least eight Death Eaters (probably the most important ones), all clad in black robes and hoods above their heads. Bellatrix had lifted her hood to her face as well, as Draco noted from the corner of his eye. The Death Eaters were all turned to look at Draco, but the only creature who was worth his attention was the dark figure by the very end of the room, sitting on his throne-like chair as a twelve foot serpent slithering around it, hissing and spitting towards the person who stood nearest (a short trembling man with no hood so you saw his bald head shining in the torch light). He was not having his hood to obscure his face, just like Draco. The red slits, he probably called eyes, were gazing directly at him and a slight shiver travelled through his body unnoticed. The pale twisted face of all evil above the earth was turned in his direction. He inhaled deeply through his nostrils which looked mistakably much as a serpent's. He called himself Lord Voldemort.

"I see you finally decided to grace us with your presence, Draco." the Dark being said in his cold, high-pitched voice, which carried over the room easily through the silence.

"Yes, my Lord." Draco answered icily as he took a few steps inside the room. All eyes were on him, he could even feel Bellatrix's eyes burning through the back of his head, probably trying to say that he should behave now.

"Well, I'm glad you could join us even if you are late, my Dragon." Voldemort said venomously. "This meeting was important, or did you forget?"

"I didn't forget. I knew that perfectly well, my Lord." Draco answered calmly. A few of the Death Eaters gaped at his bravery to act so arrogantly towards their Lord.

"Very well, very well…" Voldemort mused. Draco gave him a nod as he tramped down the stairs to the middle of the room and pushed through the crowd of black robed Death Eaters, Bellatrix trailing behind him with her hood up over her face. What was it with these secretive identities? Draco didn't bother to hide who he was. He wanted everyone to know who he was. It made him feel powerful.

"We should proceed with the meeting, my Lord." A voice said from the first row of Death Eaters in front of Voldemort's chair. Draco recognised his voice and knew it was Macnair. Draco did not like him much because he would have liked him in Azkaban instead of his father. Voldemort nodded as Draco stopped right in front of him, glaring at the serpent which was hissing at him with its fangs bared.

"Nagini do not like the lateness of your arrival, my Dragon." Voldemort translated what the serpent was saying. Draco had the urge to snort right at his pale face. Why would he care what a _snake_ thought of the lateness of his arrival?

"Is that so?" Draco asked annoyed. The Death Eaters were gaping at him again. Bellatrix took a step towards Draco. She wanted to kick him for acting like this.

"Yesss…" Voldemort hissed. Ok, so he noticed the annoyance in his voice. So what? "You don't have to sound annoyed, my dear boy." Draco decided not to say a thing to that comment.

"My Lord, we really should proceed with the meeting." Macnair said once again, now sounding like he was in a hurry. Voldemort turned his head quickly in his direction and his eyes flashed but then went back to their normal state again.

"You are right. We can begin now when Draco is with us." he said coldly. A low murmur went through the Death Eaters.

"That's why I came, so why won't we?" Draco muttered quietly. He thought that no one heard him but Voldemort's red eyes flashed in anger but he said nothing. Bellatrix saw this and gave Draco a swift hit on his arm. He turned to glare at her but she only glared right back at him without a word.

Voldemort stood up and the group grew quickly silent. He gazed at them each one in turn with his eyes for a while. "Some of you know why we're here. Yet some don't. The Ministry of Magic knows I'm getting stronger and Dumbledore is training Potter so he will be ready to face me when I've gained my Army. Of course Dumbledore has his Army ready and he's searching for me, but I still need some to fulfil my ranks. And whatever happens in the future, I don't have but one choice and by this I mean that I have the pressure to inform you that I have chosen one worthy to be the true heir of my Dark Reign. This one will rule by my side as a son and if something happens to me, he will become your new leader. I am not immortal, as you know, and therefore I need this heir. This one will be trained with the Darkest Magic known above the earth and finally master the whole Magical World." Voldemort paused and gazed at Draco.

"But, my Lord, is there any man worthy of this position?" one of the Death Eaters asked suddenly. This was Rookwood.

"Actually, there is one." Voldemort told them in a low cold voice which sent shivers along their spines. His eyes turned to Draco.

Oh, ok. Now he got it. This was the thing he was planning for Draco's future. He was going to become the heir of Voldemort. Draco wanted to snort again. Of course he wanted him to be his heir, because he was the only one who hadn't yet been discovered in any way by the Light Side. Everyone else had at sometime been either completely on the other side, been in Azkaban or at least been in a trial where they had sworn that they had nothing to do with Voldemort. Draco was the purest of them all. Therefore he was Voldemort's favourite with Bellatrix and those others who had been to Azkaban, but no one knew that Draco even was in touch with the Dark Lord. He was perfect for the job.

"I am of course talking about my Dragon, Draco Malfoy." Voldemort said calmly. The Death Eaters gaped again and turned to look at Draco who had a knowing smirk upon his delicious lips. "He has proven his loyalty many times before, even if he's the youngest of you all." he said as many of the Death Eaters looked disappointed that they had not been chosen to be his heir.

"Thank you, my Lord." Draco spoke with a slight bow. "I'm more than happy to take this position by your side." _By your side, my arse, I'll be the one ruling this crap alone..._

"Like a son you will be to me, like a second father I will be to you, since Lucius isn't here to share this happiness with you." Voldemort replied. Draco was repulsed. He would never ever want that snake to be his father. Lucius was his only father, even if he treated him unfairly. But Draco said nothing, just smirked and nodded in approval.

"Are you absolutely sure –" Macnair begun but was cut off by Voldemort.

"I am absolutely sure. Draco is perfect."

"Thank you, my Lord." Draco said once again. _Of course I'm perfect, you dolts…_

"But I am not going to risk it further. You will stay as any other Death Eater in my ranks and go to school until mid-December, when we'll go through the ceremony and you get the Mark of Power. You have your birthday shortly before Christmas, haven't you?" he asked and Draco nodded. "Dumbledore will not notice a thing before Christmas. Keep your Dark Mark hidden, keep it secret. For you will be rewarded greatly." Voldemort said mostly to Draco as his gaze penetrated through him. "I will train you myself, since the rest of you are just a group of morons."

"That'll be fine, my Lord. Although I must ask; why not now? Why wait till Christmas?" Draco asked Voldemort.

"Dumbledore suspects many to be my followers this year. He will keep an eye on you for sure. But my own plan comes into action after New Year so he won't have time to look at you as often." he explained as Nagini hissed at Wormtail, who had been standing quietly in the corner but he jumped slightly when the serpent's turned its head at him. "And the Mark of Power radiates off you, he and the others of the Light Side will notice it if he stands too close. The Dark Mark can be hidden, but the Mark of Power cannot. I will tell you everything tonight."

"What plan is coming into action after New Year?" Draco asked curiously.

"It is still a secret."

"But if I'm going to become your heir, shouldn't you tell me everything, my Lord?"

"It all comes with time, my Dragon…" Voldemort said…

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Draco remembered that day very well. His life had been different since. He was now lying in his four-poster bed with a black haired girl, slightly older than him, lying beside him naked. His muscles were aching, not from the sex he had had last night, but from the training he was going through with the Dark Lord. It was really rough but he had learned a lot, yet there were still things to learn. He figured that he would have to get out of the school on weekends to meet up with Voldemort to finish his training. If Potter was Dumbledore's weapon, then Draco was Voldemort's. Today was the day when he was going to return to Hogwarts and he hadn't slept one second that night. He was getting annoyed at the light snoring from the girl beside him. God, he didn't even know girls were able to snore. Though the sex had been great…

No one knew how powerful he felt. His last year in Hogwarts was going to be fun but extremely tough if the Dark Lord continued to summon him throughout the year. But that was alright, with the thought that he might be the one to destroy Potter at last, if Voldemort didn't manage to do it.

Then there was the secret plan no one had told him about. What was going to happen after New Year? He had no idea.

Ok… Fuck it. He'd get to know later anyway…

Now he had to concentrate to go back to Hogwarts to torment and tease the famous Golden Trio which annoyed him to no end. The prissy Potter, the sidekick Weasel King and the ugly Mudblood… Oh, he hated them so much!

And the fact that he had not been chosen Head Boy this year was driving him so mad. It was probably going to be Potter or Weasley with the little Mudblood Granger as Head Girl by their side... Grr...

The girl beside him gave a slight moan when she turned and placed her head on his chest and continued to sleep. This was probably the last time he had had free sex and he wouldn't have content with Pansy Parkinson (although there was nothing to complain about her if he kept his gaze directed to her large breasts…).

Draco wondered where his mother, Narcissa was. He hadn't seen her for a few days but suspected she was in Azkaban by his father's side. The only loyal and true in this family was Narcissa. Draco knew that Narcissa was not Lucius's only woman. But it didn't matter… Well, it did if you were completely honest…

He continued to think about his hectic life and his future of power and before he knew it, he drifted off to sleep with the thought that his life was going to be perfect after all this…

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_To Be Continued…_

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**Author's Note:** That was chapter two. In all honesty, I'm not exactly satisfied with it so I might rewrite it and post it again. Well, anyway. Thanks for all the reviews I got, I love you guys! Thanks to; **lil****-blonde-pirate, Val, Malfodax, Naoko Ten'ou, Jackoholic (**Vipera berus is Latin and it is a viper, I love serpents so that's the reason for it!**) and kalinda! **Thanks a million to you guys!!!

Next chapter has both Draco and Hermione in it. I'll try to update as soon as possible but like I said in the beginning of the chapter, I'm most likely concentrating on my other fic. (I have great plans for this though, and I promise that I'm going to continue!)

Please review and tell me what you think. These first two chapters were like two parts of a long prologue where it was about their holidays… :D

Hugs! 3


	3. Not the Usual Transport

**A****uthor's**** Note: **Ok, I put the third and the fourth chapter together and made one loooong chapter. Here it is, same as before, but longer, hope you like!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own a thing! ;P It's all Jo's, except the plot line.

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**The Magic of Hate, Lust and Love**

Chapter 3: Not the Usual Transport

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"Have a wonderful year, Hermione! I promise I'll send you a lot of letters!" Mr Granger said to his daughter once they had pulled in, in front of King's Cross station. The back door of the blue car opened and Hermione scrambled out of the back seat dragging her trunk after her and holding Crookshanks securely under her arm. She muttered something he couldn't hear, before she was entirely out of the car.

_Have a wonderful year? Wonderful year? Yeah, alright… Just wondering how I'm able to have a wonderful year when nothing is the same again? Nothing will ever be the same again since – since – stop thinking about it, Hermione… It's not going to help anything. Besides, I don't have time to think about it. There're the NEWTs and my Head Girl duties to think about. I will be too busy to think about it. Yes, and I'm going to have that wonderful year Dad wished me… at least I'm going to try and have it…_

"Thanks Dad! Goodbye!" Hermione answered hoarsely before banging the car door shut. Her voice was sleepy like she had awoken a few minutes ago, which was the truth in fact. She had fallen asleep once again after waking up early that morning. And now she was late and in a big hurry. The time was ticking by too fast for her liking and it raced towards eleven o'clock. Mr Granger's blue car drove away and Hermione gave him one last wave before disappearing into the train station where the bright sunlight was shining through the thick windows. Hermione was running as fast as her legs could carry her. Would she make it in two minutes into platform nine and three-quarters?

Hermione was hungry and tired and probably looked like shit in her opinion. Her curly brown hair was somehow tamed into two braids which she had made in the car on her way to the train station. She wore no make-up because she didn't own any and wouldn't have had time to put on some for the matter. She was wearing a pair of light blue jeans and a tight hooded sweat shirt in dark blue, the zip was opened and it revealed a turquoise top with a low neckline underneath. Her Head Girl badge was pinned onto her top. A yellow bag which contained her most personal things was wound around her neck and it hung down to her hip.

She yelled her apologies to the people she managed to push or knock down in mistake. The barrier between platforms nine and ten was in sight but the clock above the entrance to the magical platform, showed that she had thirty seconds to get inside the platform and aboard the train. Hermione did not waste another second before running straight through the magical barrier and platform nine and three-quarters materialised in front of her with a scarlet train already in move.

"Oh no! Wait!" Hermione yelled to the train as she continued to run. "No! Don't leave without me, I'm Head Girl for Merlin's sake!" but the train did not slow down or stop. The speed increased and Hermione ran behind it, trying to catch it.

As she obviously wasn't watching at anything else than the train as she ran, she was suddenly knocked backwards when she ran face first into something solid yet quite soft. "Oh!" she gasped as she started falling to the hard floor but then a pair of strong muscular arms wrapped around her petite waist as Hermione closed her eyes and waited for the hit. But it didn't come. Two trunks fell to the floor with loud thuds and Crookshanks leaped out of her grasp and hissed at her.

When her eyes snapped open when she noticed that she had never hit the floor, the sight of the person who had caught her made her think that she was hugged by an angel. The blonde hair gleamed in the sun that shone inside and the silver blue eyes glazed over her face and figure. Was she dead? Neither of them noticed when the scarlet Hogwarts Express turned around the curve and out of sight. Hermione was so captured by this mystery man and he seemed to be by her. Her mind was racing but not of the thought that she had just missed the train…

_Oh my! What's happening?_ She thought stunned.

But then something else popped into her mind and her eyes widened. Who was the only wizard she knew had blonde hair and blue eyes of the sort?

Realisation spread across his face and it turned into a grimace of disgust as both he and Hermione shoved each other away with their hands in haste.

"What the hell is this, Granger?!" he asked fiercely as both of them jumped huge steps backwards.

"That was exactly what I was going to ask you, Malfoy!" Hermione shot back as she brushed the dust of her clothes.

"You were the one who bumped into me!" he said quickly and she brought her gaze up to him once more in a glare and noticed his eyes travelling up and down her figure openly. "Well, well. The little Gryffindor princess has grown quite a bit, eh?" he said crossing his arms over his chest with a smirk which made Hermione frown.

"I haven't! And if I were you, I would be watching what comes out of that horrible mouth of yours." she hissed.

Draco rolled his eyes and muttered; "Whatever…"

A silence filled the platform suddenly. "Oh no!" she shrieked when she remembered their situation.

"What?" Draco asked with raised eyebrows, wondering about her sudden outburst. She looked around her to the direction to where the Hogwarts Express had disappeared. Most of the parents and the siblings of the students had left already and only Draco and Hermione remained by the empty platform with few others.

"We – we missed the train! Oh my God! I can't believe we missed the only transport to Hogwarts!" Hermione said panicked, bringing her hand to her mouth. "Oh God… This is not happening…" she groaned and slammed her palm onto her forehead.

"See this is what you do. Cause other people to miss trains and such. Mudbloods are good for absolutely nothing…" Draco said loudly and earned Hermione's whole attention as she whipped her head up in his direction and fixed her coldest and angriest glare on him.

"Are you saying it's _my_ fault? When I was doing a completely good job running after it and pop! _You_ appear out of nowhere and make me bump into you! As far as I can see, it wasn't the tiniest bit my fault! It was entirely your fault!" she retorted angrily, her eyes narrowed and her arms crossed. She was not in a mood to see him right now.

Draco snorted. "My fault? No, no, no. I think you're losing it, Granger. It can never be a Malfoy's fault if _filthy_ Mudbloods bump into them!" Draco told her menacingly. In a second he was staring at the tip of Hermione's wand which now pointed straight at his face.

"Shut up or I swear I'll curse you into oblivion!"

"That's fine by me. Then at least I wouldn't have to spend my time with worthless worms like you… If you don't have the guts to do it, then take that fucking wand away from my face, Granger." Draco said smirking. Hermione glared at him but lowered her wand and pocketed it in frustration. Crookshanks was sitting on her fallen trunk when she came and picked it up.

"We better start to come up with a way to get back to school. And stop being such a brat, Malfoy." Hermione said casting him a glare as she lifted Crookshanks into her arms. "Any ideas?"

"About what?" Draco asked annoyed as he decided to ignore her earlier comment about him being a brat.

"About how are we going to get to school since we missed the Hogwarts Express, have you any ideas about that, hmm?" Hermione asked with raised eyebrows like it would be most obvious question in the world.

"First of all, we need to get out of this platform, Granger. Then you can do your brilliant little magic and fix us to Hogwarts since you're s'posed to be the smartest witch – sorry, I meant Mudblood, not witch – in school." he stated.

Hermione dropped the trunk and Crookshanks who hissed at her again, onto the platform floor with a thud before she took her wand out and pointed it at him. "The first thing you said was bearable, but if you continue to insult me again, Malfoy, I swear I'll give you detention for the rest of your school year." she hissed angrily.

He snorted. "Detention?" he sneered disbelieved with an amused tone in his voice.

"Exactly. I'm Head Girl so watch how you speak to me." Hermione told him with her hand pointing at her shining Head badge. A small smirk formed upon her lips as she saw him getting frustrated.

"I knew it… Dumbledore is insane…" Draco muttered but she heard what he said as she lowered her wand in victory.

"Well, I can't see you brag about being Head Boy, so I can say with full confidence that _professor_ Dumbledore is completely sane." Hermione said with a smirk that resembled very much Draco's. "If you don't want detention, then I suggest you watch your mouth and never call me a _Mudblood_ again." Draco rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"I'm scared now, Granger. Why don't you go tell your mother that big bad Draco is calling you a Mudblood?" he sneered as she was about to pick her trunk from the floor again but stopped suddenly.

A flash of painful memories shot through her brain as he said these words. The car drove down the street as she watched. Blue sparks were shot towards it… The bus was crossing the road in front of the grey car. A sudden crash she could only hear filled her ears as she stared unblinkingly at her trunk. Blue sparks were shot towards the grey car from somewhere…

"No!" she whispered and sunk down onto her knees over her trunk and buried her head in her hands. Draco watched the girl in confusion and horror. What had he done now? He saw her petite body tremble slightly before a sob escaped her lips.

"Hey Granger, what's – err – wrong?" Draco asked but didn't sound a least bit of guilty or concerned that he had made her cry. He was just interested in why she was crying. That's all! He walked a bit closer to her and was about to place a hand on her shoulder before he thought better of it and did not. _Mudblood__ germs…_ He thought with disgust and put his hands in the pockets of his dark robes.

Hermione didn't answer him when further memories flashed before her closed eyes and she had to open them from preventing such things from happening. Her breath was increasing slightly. Then she seemed to remember where she was and that it had only been a memory. Draco was still watching her in silence, not knowing what to do or say. A few platform workers glanced at them but said nothing (besides, they were mostly wondering what two students were doing there when the Express had already left). Hermione gave a cough before she stood up and straightened herself, wiping her eyes so that Draco did not see her tears.

"I know how we're going to get to Hogwarts, Malfoy." Hermione said and turned to look at his curious face.

"What happened, Granger? Did you have some kind of disease fit?" he asked with raised eyebrows. Hermione frowned.

"I said that I know who we're going to get to school, Malfoy." she said, ignoring his questions. _I can do this…_ she reminded herself constantly. Draco wanted an answer though, he was a Malfoy and Malfoys always get what they want and this time he wanted an answer out of her.

"Just answer my question, Granger. What happened?" he asked again as Hermione's face reddened slightly from anger.

"I don't have to answer to you." she stated clearly and then picked up her trunk and Crookshanks once again, glaring at him coldly. "So do you want to get to Hogwarts or not? Do you want me to share my plan with you, or shall I go back alone?" she asked him. Draco was frustrated. Why couldn't she just answer him? It was simple as that but Granger was stubborn, he knew that and had to give credit for it too.

"Alright." he said and added; "But I'll get know what the fuck is wrong with you someday." Hermione glanced at him firmly.

"You don't have to swear, Malfoy." Hermione said calmly.

"You're such a prude... Well, are you going to tell me today or shall we go shopping to London?" he asked sarcastically and rolled his eyes. Hermione snorted and shook her head.

"I think I have to give you detention in any case…" she muttered before locking glares with him. "Well, we could Apparate to Hogsmeade and walk to Hogwarts from there, idiot. It's so simple that I wonder how we didn't come up with it earlier!?" she explained clearly with a smile.

"Because you were crying and lying on the floor, Granger, that's why."

"Oh, keep it shut." she told him sternly. "So what do you think? Are you ready?" she asked him, taking out her wand and shrinking her trunk into pocket-size before putting it into her yellow bag which was still hanging around her neck to her hip.

Draco seemed to be thinking about something for a while before his eyes glazed with something – was it excitement? – and he coughed slightly, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "Err… the thing with Apparition is that – err – I didn't pass the test, Granger (I'll kill you if you laugh)." he said quietly, not looking into her eyes. Hermione stared at him with her mouth slightly agape. She shook her head and cleared her throat.

"That's ok. I think we can think of something else how we're getting to school." Hermione assured him with a smile. Draco scowled.

"We? Are you saying that _you_ won't Apparate back alone?"

"You honestly think I'll leave you here all alone, Malfoy? I'm Head Girl, it's my duty to see that you get to Hogwarts safely." she explained with a short nod and fiddled with her badge. Draco snorted and shot her a death glare.

"I don't need your help to get back to Hogwarts, Mudblood." he spat angrily and whipped his wand out from his pocket and shrunk his trunk before pocketing it with his wand. "I can take care of myself, thank you very much." he drawled and headed towards the magical exit of the platform.

Hermione grinned and shook her head slightly. "Can you imagine what professor Dumbledore would say if I left you alone in the middle of Muggle London without any clue of how to get back? You got another thing coming if you expect me to leave you here alone. I'm coming with you, Ferret!" she yelled and scooped Crookshanks into her arms and ran after him.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Draco walked through the barrier and emerged to the other side seeing Muggles walk past him, not glancing more than twice in his direction. Where should he go now?

Suddenly another figure came through the magical entrance and bumped into his back, on top of that, he heard an angry hiss from behind him, which sounded very much like a cat. When he whipped around, he saw Hermione looking up at him apologetically with Crookshanks the ginger cat in her arms, hissing at him. He shook his head, turning around he continued to walk out of the train station.

"Are you following me, Granger?" Draco drawled when he felt Hermione's presence near him.

"What if I am? London is a dangerous place to be wandering alone in, who knows what might happen to you." Hermione's soft voice answered right behind him. Draco had the urge to kick something. _Why did she have to be so stubborn?!?_ He thought angrily. Crookshanks meowed in her arms and a few Muggles glanced at the strange looking cat in wonder (why did it have such a flat face? they wondered).

"I already said that I don't need your fucking help, Mudblood." Draco growled as they walked out to the sunny street. Hermione snorted uncharacteristically.

"Well, that's a slight problem since I'm going to help you whether you like it not." Hermione replied stubbornly. Draco groaned in annoyance. _How the hell does Potter and Weasley put up with her?!?!_ "Besides, I know a way already." she said after a while. He frowned as they continued to walk down the sunny street with many little shops along it. "We need to get somewhere private." he heard her mutter mainly to herself.

"Oh, so you want me that badly, huh?" He asked seductively as a few Muggle girls giggled and pointed at him as they sat on a bench in front of an ice-cream parlour. He gave them a smirk and a wink which made Hermione roll her eyes.

"Ew, no, sorry to disappoint you, Ferret boy, but that was not what I meant and you know it, you fool." Hermione said coolly and stuck her tongue out to the girls just to tease. Their expressions turned sour as she had the chance to walk close to such a good looking boy as Draco Malfoy.

"Now who's being a fool…" he muttered once he saw what she did and slowed down slightly.

Hermione ignored him completely. "Alright, since we can't – I mean _you_ can't – err – Apparate to Hogwarts, we can take the Knight Bus and for that we need to get into a private alley so these Muggles won't see." Hermione explained and poked his arm to get him moving again. He raised his eyebrows in confusion.

"The Knight Bus?" Draco questioned.

"Yes. The Knight Bus, Malfoy." Hermione said clearly as she cast him a sideway glance and saw his confused expression. "Oh please don't tell me that you don't know what a Knight Bus is?" she frowned. "I mean, you've lived your whole life in the Magical World and you don't know –"

"Shut the fuck up, Granger." Draco growled and pushed her into a dark alley. At first they didn't notice a few boys in their age standing by the corner, smoking cigarettes. They however looked up to see when the two teenagers emerged out from nowhere.

"Don't you tell me to shut up, I just asked you, y'know!" She said hotly, glaring at him as Crookshanks gave a hiss towards the unknown boys.

"Alright, alright! Then what are we waiting for, Granger? Do your little _magic_ so we can get the fuck out of here." Draco said firmly, glaring straight at her face. Hermione shook her head in frustration.

"Why do you have to swear and be such an arrogant brat?" she whined and looked up, seeing three or four boys staring at them with wide eyes in interest. Draco lifted his gaze to them as well. Some of them glanced quickly at Draco who stood a little behind Hermione and some of them looked at her up and down hungrily. What did they think when he said 'magic'? Uh ooh…

"Hey there, gorgeous." one of them said with a strange glint in his eyes as he stared at Hermione. He licked his lips sensually and let his eyes take in her figure.

"Did he mean you, Malfoy?" Hermione asked Draco in a whisper. He gave her a smirk. _So, Granger thinks I'm gorgeous?_ he thought smirking.

"Of course, I'm the gorgeous one aren't I?" he said proudly with a smirk. Hermione rolled her eyes but sighed in relief at the same time, but then she noticed their gazes were upon her.

"Err –" she was about to ask Draco was he absolutely sure about his answer, but then he didn't think she was gorgeous, right, so he'd give the same answer anyway.

Hermione gulped, thinking that this wasn't such a good idea when they came to that alley, and backed towards Draco who hadn't moved an inch. "Don't be scared, girl. What's your name?" another asked seductively. She didn't answer however. Would Draco jump away in fear like a little bouncing ferret? Had he jumped away already?

He had not. He stood behind her and gazed at the scene in interest. _This is great! Granger is going to piss on herself soon, haha! Oh man, I enjoy seeing her scared…_ Draco thought with a smirk. The boys laughed at her fearful expression and her wide cinnamon eyes. Hermione was clutching Crookshanks so tightly to her chest that she feared that the cat would soon choke to death.

"Would ya like to give us some of that 'magic' as well?" a third questioned with a laugh. That really got Hermione pissed off. She fought the urge to take out her wand and hex them right away.

"I don't know what you're talking about, but it doesn't sound too nice so I suggest you watch your mouth." Hermione said with her eyebrows lowered. They all laughed, including Draco who stood behind her with a broad grin on his face.

He chuckled and whispered to her, his breath tickling her ear; "Why don't you give them detention, Head Girl?" he asked sarcastically in a low voice and laughed some more. Hermione flushed and tramped on his foot with hers. He groaned slightly in pain and she smirked in satisfaction.

"Come on, girl, we want to see some magic as well." the first one of them said and threw his cigarette to the ground and stepped on it, then taking a step towards Hermione. She grimaced and hugged Crookshanks to her chest once more. "Your boyfriend wants some too!" he added and Hermione snorted.

"He's _not_ my boyfriend!" She snapped in fury.

"Damn right I'm not!" Draco added crossing his arms over his chest. The boys laughed and Hermione realised that it was precisely the answer they wanted.

"Good, you can just watch when we have a bit fun with her!" they said and Draco smirked at the idea.

"Hey! No one talks about me like that, you hear?!" Hermione yelled angrily, quickly moving her wand from her pocket to her sleeve so they couldn't see it.

"Well, watcha gonna do about that, girlie?" one asked taking a step closer. Hermione backed again, clutching her wand and Crookshanks tightly.

Suddenly a loud pang was heard from behind the boys and all of them whipped around, staring wildly into the darkness of the alley. Even if it was daytime and the sun shone most brightly, the alley, in which opening they all stood by, was dark and shadowed by the tall houses on each side. A pair of dustbins, with two hairy legs sticking out of either side of them, came running towards the boys, making loud scary noises and throwing their contents upon the three boys who all screamed like little helpless girls in fear and scrambled out of the way, past a laughing Hermione and a wide-eyed Draco, out into the street and off sight.

The dustbins calmed down in a swish of Hermione's wand and settled themselves against the wall unmoving, the legs gone. A horrible stench filled the air and Hermione lifted her hand to her nose.

"Ew, Malfoy. Hold your farts." she commented and walked further into the alley, the darkness swallowing her. Draco stood gawking after her but snapped out of it with a shake of his head and he hurried after her.

"That was illegal." he said harshly with lowered eyebrows as he fell into a step beside her. Hermione had stopped and looked around her.

"What? I hear this coming from a Malfoy!" she told him mockingly. "Illegal, give me a break!" she muttered quietly so he didn't hear.

"The Ministry could snap your wand in two because of that." Draco said with an excited tone in his voice. If that really happened, he would be rid of her forever!

Hermione frowned. "Oh get over it! They won't _snap my wand in two_ because it was pure self-defence, idiot! You seriously thought I was going to let those brats do whatever they pleased with me?" she asked disbelieved. "I had to stop them from doing anything – perverse." she added with a nod and leaned against the brick wall, holding onto Crookshanks and twirling her wand between her fingers.

"You know they were just messing around, Granger, or did you really think they were going to do something perverse to a filthy Mudblood like you?" he asked with a laugh. Hermione glared at him.

"Oh please! They don't care if you're a Pure-blood or not. And I told you not to call me that." she commented. "Anyway, remember that we still have to get back to Hogwarts?"

"Yeah, yeah," he said swiftly. "Then where's this Knight Bus, Granger? Conjure it up will you?" Draco drawled in his usual tone.

"Of course, _master_." she muttered sarcastically.

Hermione gripped her wand and swished her wrist a bit. Nothing. Draco raised his eyebrows, standing in the middle of the alley, a mean smirk curving his lips.

"Well?" he said impatiently. Hermione swished her wrist again, this time a bit more forcefully.

PANG!

"Watch out!"

A bright purple triple-decker bus drove down the alley and came into a fierce halt in front of them, in the exact place where Draco had been standing in a few second ago. The lights illuminated the whole alley, including a pair of teenagers, one having the other pressed against the wall.

After Draco had yelled his 'watch out', he had jumped into Hermione, pinning her against the wall. The pang had scared the hell out of him and he had no idea what it was. A light shone upon them and Draco heard a voice talk muffled against his chest. Delicate hands were pushing him strongly.

"Get – off – Malfoy!" the words came muffled and Draco's eyes widened in disgust as he looked down, seeing Hermione's face muffled into his chest. Hmm, poor Crookshanks…

Draco pushed himself off of her in a quick move and grimaced.

"That was a bit too much, Granger. I do know that I'm charming and handsome, but you seriously don't have to try and hug me!" Draco exclaimed at her. Hermione glared at him, brushing her clothes off. Crookshanks was not over that incident yet. He was hissing and spitting at Draco, his face flatter than before.

"I know he's an arrogant bastard, Crookshanks." Hermione said to her cat and pet his head.

"Like Oh My God, Granger! You said bastard!" Draco mocked, bringing his hands to his mouth in a fake gasp. "And I didn't know you can understand cats? But you never know about Mudbloods anyway…" he trailed off.

"Oh go to hell!" Hermione yelled fuming, pocketing her wand.

A sudden cough startled them both and they turned to look at Stan Shunpike, the purple clad conductor of the Knight Bus, leaning against the doorframe of the purple bus.

"Finished bickering, are ye?" he asked in a thick accent, his eyebrows raised high at them. "Alrighty then! Welcome to the Knight Bus – The fastest emergency transport for a stranded wizard or –" he was cut off by Hermione storming inside the bus, pushing past Stan in an angry manner. Stan gave Draco a questioning look and turned his head to watch Hermione's butt as she walked to the very end of the bus and finally sitting down on a bed with a frown. She placed Crookshanks onto the bed beside her and crossed her legs and arms, still muttering insults to Draco even if he could not hear her. Stan turned back to Draco with a curious expression planted on to his pimply face.

"So, where're ye goin' then?" Stan asked Draco as he too boarded.

"Hogwarts school." he told the conductor. Stan's eyes lit up as he seemed to understand their situation.

"'Ogwarts, eh?" Stan asked excited. "You two missed the Express didn't ya? Well, this is the first! Is she yer girlfriend?" he called to Draco as he closed the door of the bus and Pang! they were on their way towards Wales, where the Knight Bus had to drop a passenger off. The bus ride was not a gentle one. It jumped from one side of the road to the other, making buildings jump out of the way and the beds inside the bus slide along the corridor. Draco did not like it very much.

"No!" Draco and Hermione yelled at the same time.

"Denial!" both Stan and the driver said to each other. The teenagers ignored this yet they had heard it.

Stan walked over to Draco who sat on a bed far away from Hermione. "The driver goes by the name of Ernie Prang. So! What'll it be, Mister? You want hot chocolate or our newest product; the chocolate-Shunpike cookies? I've made 'em meself! It's only two Sickles and ten Knuts!" Stan exclaimed to Draco, taking a squashed chocolate cookie out of his pocket and showing it to him. Mmm, delicious... "What's your name by the way?"

"Draco Malfoy." he answered, looking out of the window, after casting Hermione a quick glance of loathing. When he didn't hear Stan talking, he turned his head to look at his pale face which stared at him in fear. "Are you ill or something?" Draco asked seeing his fearsome expression.

"Me? Err – n-no Mr Malfoy." Stan said, taking a step backwards. He glanced at the driver and then gulped. "Alrighty, t-tell me i-if you need s-something!" Stan said swiftly before running to Ernie whispering "'Ey, Ern! Guess who we 'ave aboard! It's Draco Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy's son!" he told the driver and when he turned around in his seat to stare at Draco, the bus drove in a gutter and made Draco and the rest of the passengers fall of their beds.

_What do they know?_ Draco thought worrying, clutching his left forearm. It couldn't be out in the papers that he was a Death Eater, could it? No, otherwise he'd heard it straight from Hermione when they met. Maybe they were scared because Lucius was a Death Eater and Draco one's son? Yes, that had to be it. He glanced at Hermione's direction once more and found her glaring at him with an angry fire in her eyes. He smirked and stood up while the bus drove back on the road. Pang! They were out of London and driving towards Wales. Draco could not take the curious and angry stares which were sent to him by the pimply conductor and the crazy driver. It made him feel like Harry Potter so he walked over to Hermione, wanting to mess with her head.

"Go away." was the first thing that came out of her mouth.

"No." Draco answered taking a seat on the bed in front of her. Crookshanks hissed at him and he had the urge to kick him.

"Go away, Malfoy. You're not welcome here." Hermione said stubbornly.

"I'm hurt Granger." Draco drawled mockingly and placed a hand on his heart. "Please heal me." he added with a smirk.

"No. Now go away." she snapped, petting her cat. Suddenly the bus was leaning furiously to the right and the beds went sliding along the corridor. Draco toppled off his bed onto Hermione's and he landed on top of her. Was he doing this on purpose all the time?

"Eek! You're – strangling me, Ferret!" Hermione's voice came from under him and he smirked down at her. "This isn't funny so wipe that smirk off your ugly face!" she added and Draco's smirk faded.

"You don't think I'm ugly, Granger, you think I'm gooooooorgeous!" he purred. She blushed slightly but didn't let her mask down, she gave his chest a mighty push with her hands and Draco climbed off of her.

"Phiuuuuuuh!" came a whistle from the other end of the bus where Stan has seen the whole scene. Hermione stuck her middle finger out to him and then glared at Draco. Boys…

"Now that was quite –" Draco begun.

"Keep it shut!" Hermione told him sternly and ignored them all the rest of the ride.

The bus-ride went without further misfortunes and Hermione, to her relief, got to be alone with her thoughts and Crookshanks, who seemed very angry with Draco, just like Hermione. Although the ride was very bumpy, it continued quite smoothly between Draco and Hermione mainly because no words were uttered.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_To Be Continued…_

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**Author's Note:** End of the Chapter. I decided to make up for this little 'putting-together-of-two-chapters' by adding a new chapter. Ok, to my reviewers, Thank you's and Firebolts goes to; **lil****-blonde-pirate, LynneG, Alexis, elvenrarehunter, s0mething wicked, Maggi25, Lexi, RavenclawRegina (**Nope, I don't study Latin, if you're wondering about my pen name, it's because I love snakesssss!**), inquisitive kitty and SomeRockerGirl!** Thank you so much! 3

Please leave a review and tell what you liked about this chapter?! Did I forget about something with the Knight Bus perhaps? Or was Hermione too – uptight? Tell me in a review, please! :D Spank you!

PS: Since Draco is not Head Boy, do you want to guess who is and get a special prize since I'm feeling super generous?! ;)

Hugs! 3


	4. Where it All Began

**Author's Note:** Hey yaaa! I'm here with another chapter! It's been quite a long time since last time, but I still updated so all's well. Alright! Are you ready to send them back to Hogwarts? I think they were doing so cutely together in the Knight Bus. Anyway, at this point, I want to point out that there was ONE who guessed the Head Boy correctly, but don't spoil the surprise for yourself before reading this chapter. You all will find out who it is and he will have a big part in my story, if you don't like him, it's just – shit…

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own a thing. I mean seriously, if I really owned it all, I wouldn't be writing fanfictions! I would probably be swimming around in my money…

THIS IS THE REVISED VERSION OF THE CHAPTER!!!

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**The Magic of Hate, Lust and Love**

Chapter 4: Where it All Began

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"Malfoy, wake up!" Hermione poked the blonde Slytherin and he moved slightly but didn't wake up. "We're nearly there already. Wake up, Ferret!" she poked him again.

_Malfoy__ should be damn glad I decided to wake him up. Though it doesn't sound like a bad idea to leave him asleep in the Knight Bus. Who knows where it might take him, at least I would be doing Hogwarts a big favour…_

The Knight Bus jumped up on the sidewalk and Draco fell off the bed with a yell. Hermione had jumped out of the way she tried to stifle her giggles, her hands held in front of her mouth, obscuring her big grin. Draco groaned and pushed himself up from the floor of the bus, glaring at Hermione. "The driver said we're nearly there, so I decided to wake you up. Be grateful, Ferret boy." Hermione said and walked back to the end of the bus to Crookshanks.

"At least the wakening could've been gentle…" he muttered after her, though he knew perfectly well that it was not her fault that he fell from his bed and landed on the floor when the bus did what it did. No, he did not like this transport, he preferred the Hogwarts Express.

Draco glanced out of the window. It was quite dark and he guessed that it had to be very late in the evening. The only source of light was from the lampposts of the city the bus drove through. Had the start-of-term feast already begun at Hogwarts? He hoped not. What would everyone think if he arrived late with a _Mudblood_? He pushed the thought of his mind and averted his gaze from the window to Stan Shunpike, who was staring at Hermione with a dreamy expression on his face.

Pang!

The Knight Bus jumped again and this time seemed to drive through a familiar looking town. It was Hogsmeade! Finally! A scarlet train was stopped by the Hogsmeade station and just the look of it made him grimace. How could he miss it…Well, he had fallen back asleep that morning after not being able to get some sleep during the night. The trip with the Knight Bus had taken the whole day (because of the amount of passengers) and Draco did not like it. He was used to travel with class and this filthy bus was just – filthy! Just like Mudbloods…

"'Ogwarts school!" Stan Shunpike announced in a clear voice, glancing quickly at Draco and then back at Hermione with the same dreamy look on his face. A small smile formed on Hermione's lips when she heard the conductor say this and she looked back at Draco, meeting his gaze with hers. She picked up her cat and her shoulder bag. But her smile vanished from her face as she stared down at herself.

"I'm not wearing robes…" she told Draco in a small voice so he almost thought that she was talking to herself. She looked pretty much like a normal Muggle in her casual clothes. Her black robes were still in her trunk and she couldn't possibly change in front of him! Draco snorted.

"So what? It's not like you'd look any better in robes or without." Draco drawled and Hermione raised her eyebrows.

"What do you mean? You haven't even seen me _without_ robes, you perverse idiot!" Hermione snapped and petted Crookshanks's head as he purred softly. He turned his flat face towards Draco and seemed almost to scowl at him. That cat was not normal. It gave him the creeps…

"Well, you can strip for me and I'll know I'm right…as always." he shot back, licking his lips as she rolled her eyes in frustration. He was so impossible. Like a hard potions assignment. There was a clear resemblance between those two, both hard eggs to crack.

"Sod off." she mumbled as the bus turned a quick left and she fell forward on to a bed, but regained her balance swiftly and stood. Draco watched her and shook his head. She was impossible. Like a whiny girl in the morning when she was being dumped by him. There was a clear resemblance between those two, both would walk out the door with noise and yell.

The bus came into a halt and soon the two students found themselves staring up at Hogwarts castle with the windows alight and a feast going on in the Great Hall. The deep orange pumpkins with candles inside them, shone through the high windows of the Hall, so they could see them clearly. Hermione hoped that they had not missed anything, but she knew that luck was not on her side today.

"How much, Stan?" Hermione asked politely with a stunning smile and that made Draco scowl.

"T'll be thirteen Sickles to 'Ogwarts school." Stan said from to her once they all had climbed out of the purple bus. Hermione took her purse out of her yellow bag and gave him the money. Draco did the same, muttering something about his father. Hermione ignored him completely. The bus had stopped right in front of the main entrance, the front doors. It was wonderful to be back. "'Ave a ball year!" Stan called to them before boarding the bus again.

"Bye, Stan! Bye Ernie!" Hermione waved to them and they waved back. Draco didn't bother to say a thing to them. They were afraid of him so what was the deal? He had his back turned to the bus but he heard a clear and loud Pang! and the Knight Bus was gone, leaving Draco and Hermione staring up at the castle with smiles on their faces (well, a smirk in Draco's case).

"What a way to start this year." Hermione muttered quietly to herself. "But it's wonderful to be back again." she added with a broad grin on her smooth face as she let Crookshanks down from her arms and he disappeared into the darkness.

"What was that, Granger?" a cold drawl interrupted her thoughts and she snapped out of them.

"Nothing, Malfoy." she said, her grin faltering for a second before she walking inside with Draco behind her. No one was in the Entrance Hall. Oh no, the start-of-term feast had already begun! "We're late! I hope we haven't missed the Sorting!" Hermione said quietly, pointing at the closed oak doors which lead to the Great Hall.

"Who cares about a fucking feast where the Muggle-lover speaks bullshit and kids are sorted into houses?" Draco replied and earned an ice cold glare from Hermione. She had placed her hands on her hips and was doing a very good McGonagall imitation. Her eyebrows were lowered and her lips were pursed.

"Don't talk about professor Dumbledore in that way! If it's someone who talks complete bullshit, it's certainly you!" Hermione snapped angrily and exhaled deeply.

"I'm impressed, Granger. You can actually say bullshit without dying out of pure shock?" he asked with one eyebrow cocked. She cried out in frustration and shook her head furiously.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear you, alright." she told him, her face reddening from anger. "Let's go before I kill you." she muttered. Draco wanted to laugh. She was so pathetic…

"Here we go…" he said as they hurried up the stairs and stopped in front of the closed oak doors. Hermione looked around her.

"Do you think they've noticed that we're gone?" she asked, trying not to sound worried.

"Of course they'll notice. Well, at least they'll notice that _I'm_ gone, because who wouldn't notice the absence of the Sexiest Male of Hogwarts?" he asked smirking, his eyebrows raised high. Hermione rolled her eyes and tried not to kick him for being so annoying. "And the Head Girl gone? The _Daily Prophet_ is going to attack us once we've stepped inside and bombard us with questions." he drawled.

_Oh, God... Is his presence on this planet necessary? I'd like to kick him to Mars._ Hermione thought annoyed and didn't answer to him. Instead, she pushed the oak doors open with her both hands and peered inside. "Ok, I'll go in first –" she started.

"No. I'm going in first. It's always Pure-bloods first, my dear Mudblood." he cut her off and pushed past her and slunk inside the Great Hall, leaving Hermione alone, biting her lip and sweating in nervousness.

"I should've entered first! I'm Head Girl, you impatient brat!" she whispered huskily to the door and cursed his arse into hell and back. She swallowed and stepped sideways inside, the first thing she noticed, was that the whole Slytherin table was smirking in her direction, some even whispering to their fellows. Hermione felt her face heat up and wanted to have a cold shower. What had Draco told them? Then she noticed that Dumbledore was in the middle of his speech and stopped when she had stepped in. The rest of the school turned their heads in her direction and she swore that her face was as red as a fresh tomato.

"Ah, and here is our new Head Girl, Hermione Granger, wonderful to have you join the feast." Dumbledore's booming voice said through the Great Hall and Hermione now knew that every single eye were on her. Bugger…

She smiled nervously and headed for the Gryffindor table, muttering 'hi' and 'hello' to the new and the old students. Then she heard the Slytherin table starting to snigger and giggle at her. They were all ogling at her as she sat down between Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley, her two best friends. She was feeling rather uncomfortable as they all stared at her like that, especially the Slytherins. God knows what Draco told them and made them snigger in such a way. Hermione tried to look as if nothing had happened but failed miserably, making the Slytherins break into fits of laughter. She cursed Draco to hell and back for a second time, hoping that Satan had burned the skin off his arse.

Dumbledore cleared his throat and the laughter died. Some turned back to the Headmaster, while some continued to stare at poor Hermione who resembled a burning hut by now. And that was pretty red, if you can imagine…

"Well, I believe I've said all I had in mind for today, so please dig in!" Dumbledore told the students in his strong voice and food appeared in front of them, filling the silver plates as the Gryffindors started to bombard Hermione with questions, in a way that Draco had suggested the _Daily Prophet_ would have.

"Why weren't you aboard the Hogwarts Express, Hermione?" Neville Longbottom asked her politely.

"Did you know that Malfoy arrived just a second before you?" Lavender Brown informed her.

"She arrived _with_ Malfoy, idiot!" Parvati Patil told her best friend and slapped her arm.

"Congratulations on making Head Girl!" Colin Creevey called from the end of the table.

"Why aren't you wearing any robes?" Ginny Weasley asked her suddenly, noticing her Muggle clothes.

"How come you're late?" Dean Thomas demanded.

"What's with the Muggle clothes, Hermione?" Seamus Finnegan asked with a grin, eyeing her up and down as much as he could from the opposite side of the table.

"Why did you come with Malfoy? What were you doing with him anyway?! You weren't shagging him were you?!" asked a very suspicious looking Ron, as Harry gave him a glare.

"How dare you, Ronald Weasley?!?! Of course I weren't shagging Malfoy! What do you think of me? Some cheap girl!?" Hermione snapped, almost cracking her neck as she turned to look at Ron with a glare. How dare he even suggest that?!

"Well, that's what the Slytherins think…" Harry murmured, casting the neighbour table of silver and green a glare as they smirked at Hermione.

"Then why did you arrive just seconds after him, beetroot red in your face?!" Ron asked as the whole table was listening to them. Hermione took a deep breath to calm herself.

"I missed the Hogwarts Express because I bumped into him while I tried to run after it. We had to take the Knight Bus from London." Hermione explained them as they glanced at each other, wondering what happened aboard the Knight Bus. "I never got the chance to change clothes. And he just happens to be an arrogant little boy when he pushed past me into the Hall, that's why he was in here before me. Do you understand what I'm speaking, or do I have to be more detailed and specific?" she asked them, talking annoyingly slowly. Lavender and Parvati glanced at each other and giggled.

"Just tell us what happened aboard the Knight Bus with _Malfoy_, Hermione!" Parvati sighed, staring dreamily at the blonde Slytherin Prince. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"_Nothing_ happened aboard the Knight Bus. If you want evidence, hold out your wand hand and Stan Shunpike will confirm my word." she replied rather annoyed at everyone. Hermione began to load food on her plate as the girls looked at each other and started to giggle once again.

"Who's Stan Shunpike?" Lavender asked curiously. Harry laughed as he guessed what the girl was thinking.

"Oooh! Is he your boyfriend?" Parvati asked and inched closer to Hermione in her seat, wanting to know everything about this Stan Shunpike.

"Oh Merlin!" she sighed. "Harry, please tell them. Be a friend and help me out, alright?" Hermione smiled sweetly at Harry and poked his arm. He stopped laughing and grinned at his female friend.

"Stan is still the conductor of the Knight Bus?" he asked as Lavender's and Parvati's faces fell. They finally thought that Hermione had found herself a man…

"Yes he is. Just a conductor, not a bloody boyfriend, Parvati." she answered him and sighed. Ron narrowed his eyes at Hermione and when she looked up, she noticed this. "What it is, Ron?"

"Are you sure you didn't shag Malfoy?" he asked and shoved a fork with a piece of a potato on it, into his mouth and chewed.

"I am one hundred percent sure about that, you twit!" she told him firmly, placing her hands on her hips. Ron shrugged and swallowed.

"Okay. How was you summer then?" he asked as if he hadn't been snappy at her at all. "I mean, you barely sent us letters and you didn't visit the Burrow when I invited you. It was almost like you disappeared from this planet for a whole summer." Ron replied and took a chug of his pumpkin juice. "And arrived here with Malfoy, who knows if you spent the summer with him…" he added with a mutter so that she did not hear him.

Her face went white in a matter of milliseconds. Like a Muggle movie was played in head, the events of her summer rolled before her eyes that only she saw it. The dress she bought with her mother, the accident and her broken relationship with her father… How could only one word trigger off memories like these?

Hermione swallowed with difficulty and looked at him. _They don't know…_ she thought. _I'm not ready to tell them yet am I? I hate this. Pretending. But do I have a choice? Do I even _want_ them to know?_

"Everything was fine. I was just – busy with stuff." She explained uncomfortably. "How was your summer then?" she asked, wanting to change the conversation and not to go into her summer holidays. Ron shrugged and continued to chew the half eaten potato in his mouth.

"Nuthin' special happened. Harry was at the Burrow, though. We would've wanted you there as well." he said after swallowing. "And Ginny –"

"Is that a tongue piercing I see, Ginny?!?" Hermione shrieked and leaned over the table to stare at Ginny's red flaming face. She stared down at her plate and stuck her tongue out at Hermione very slowly, exposing a small silver ball in the middle of her tongue. Hermione gasped and brought her hand to her mouth. "Oh My God! Did it hurt?" she asked as the girl relaxed.

"It hurt. A lot." Ginny nodded and drank a bit of her pumpkin juice. Hermione was still staring at her, pushing her plate away from her, her appetite gone after the interrogation by her friends.

"But how – I mean with who were you and how did you get permission from your parents? I'm sure Mrs Weasley would not approve that!" Hermione said to the sixteen year old Gryffindor. Ginny blushed crimson red as Ron burst into laughter with Harry. She glared around at the boys and turned back to Ginny.

"Well, a Muggle friend of mine did it to me." she told Hermione who winced as if she would've felt the pain.

"It must've hurt like a –" she begun.

"- a bitch, yeah." Ginny finished her sentence, but doubted that that would've been Hermione's choice for words. The brown haired girl sighed but then grinned.

"I want to see it again. Please?" Hermione asked and Ginny obeyed. "Ouch, how did you find the courage to do that?" she asked amazed. Ginny shrugged.

"It's called Gryffindor bravery, Hermione." She said and giggled. "Oh, and did I tell you that I'm going out with Colin Creevey?" she asked and Hermione shook her head, wanting to hear everything. But before Ginny told her, Hermione glanced at Harry and grinned foolishly, remembering how they had thought in their second year that Ginny and Colin would make a perfect couple.

"Anyway, it started at the end of last year, but I didn't see you that much so I didn't have a chance to tell and your letters were a bit strange so I thought you had better things to think about than my love-life." Ginny explained chewing a roll. She started telling how she and Colin decided to start going out. But Hermione listened only to the start of her tale, her mind drifted elsewhere after a moment. She couldn't help it. The memories were still too strong and something did not feel right about it all. Why was one word like 'summer' and 'mother' getting her in a fuss? And the nightmares which were so clear like it happened yesterday… She shook her head to get back into a right state.

"Hermione! Hello! Earth to Hermione Granger?!" Ginny's soft voice cut through her thoughts and she snapped out of it, looking back at the young redhead.

"I'm sorry, Ginny. I'm here." Hermione replied focusing back on Ginny from now on.

"It's ok. I understand if you reckon my life dry and boring…" she muttered, looking slightly hurt.

"No! I don't! I've just been a bit stressed lately, that's all." Hermione told her assuring. Ginny nodded slightly but did not look too reassured and she did not speak one word about Colin Creevey anymore that night.

Suddenly a thought occurred to her. She did not know who the Head Boy was! "So, which one of you made Head Boy?" Hermione asked Harry and Ron, excited. They glanced at each other and shrugged.

"Neither of us. It's Ernie Macmillan from Hufflepuff." Harry answered her question, drinking some pumpkin juice. Hermione had raised her brows.

"Ernie? But – he's not – I mean, isn't he a bit of a – y'know…" Hermione stuttered, trying to find the words. Ernie Macmillan was the perfect choice for the new Head Boy, Hermione knew this but she thought that Dumbledore would've assigned either Harry or Ron for the job. Ernie was a nice person and deserved it definitely, but him as Head Boy? She was a bit disappointed. She had hoped it would've been one of her closer friends than a Hufflepuff who was a bit strange.

"He has a brain, though." Ginny piped up with a curt nod. Ron turned to look at his sister in haste.

"And you reckon that Harry and I don't have brains?" he snapped angrily at the young redhead. Ginny blushed strongly as Hermione tried to suppress a fit of giggles as she started to defend herself from her raging brother.

Hermione smiled genuinely. Yes, everything would be back to normal. A new year was about to begin…

Feeling a pair of eyes staring straight at her, she lifted her head and glared at a pair of hateful, silver blue eyes which belonged to no one else than Draco Malfoy.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Draco couldn't help it. He had shifted his gaze towards her and now she was staring back at him. Oh how he loathed the bunch of them. Stupid Gryffindor Golden Team…Not a single soul in the whole school could be more annoying than the trio. He glared at Hermione Granger with cold hatred in his eyes, he received the same back. He was brought back from his murderous thoughts by a hard nudge in his ribs by Blaise Zabini, a fellow Slytherin.

"That's Granger?!" Blaise asked disbelieving with his dark eyebrows raised high as he too, stared at Hermione with his dark brown eyes. She averted her eyes quickly when she saw the two Slytherins look at her and she continued to talk and laugh with her friends. Draco glanced around at him.

"No. It's Cornelius Fudge. Who else would be sitting with the Golden dorks?" Draco drawled and poured some pumpkin juice to himself. "Of course it's Granger, you idiot."

"Wow…" Blaise mused as he tried to shift in his seat to get a better view of Hermione. Draco had raised his eyebrows.

"Wow?" he asked his friend, lifting his empty plate up to obscure his face when his two cronies, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle started a food fight beside him. Those two…

"Yes! Wow!" Blaise exclaimed in his low voice as he continued to look at the Gryffindor table, on a particular girl. "She's fucking gorgeous!" he added and clicked his tongue, running a hand through his longish dark brown hair.

"My appetite's gone thanks to you. I feel like throwing up." Draco muttered. Blaise glanced at him.

"And she danced around in her nakedness for you because she has a crush on you, you say? It must've been a pleasurable sight, Draco. Unless you're lying about the whole dancing-naked-crush-on-you-thingy, of course." said Blaise and finally brought his gaze back from Hermione to Draco.

Draco smirked in triumph but held his innocent face. "Why would I be lying? She stripped for me in the Knight Bus. But I didn't touch her though. I'd never touch a dirty Mudblood." Draco informed him. He had told the whole Slytherin table a little lie about the Gryffindor Princess when he entered the Hall when they arrived. First the thought about him and her shagging would've been a juicy rumour but Draco had declined the thought because it would ruin his reputation if he'd ever touch the girl. She was a Mudblood, after all…

Blaise was gaping at him quite rudely.

"You brainless fool! She has to be the one of the hottest girls in school this year! Who the fuck cares if she's a Mudblood?! I mean look at that body! She's begging to be shagged in those clothes!" Blaise exclaimed. Draco wondered what the hell was so special and sexual about Hermione's attire. They were baggy and ugly (Muggle clothes). "I only care if she's a good fuck or not…because right now, Granger made it to the top three of my 'girls-to-shag-senseless' –list!" Blaise exclaimed and wanted to hit Draco for being a blind and a stupid proud Pure-blood racist. He groaned in frustration.

"You're out of your mind, Zabini." Draco frowned in disgust.

"I am certainly not! You are out of your mind, my friend. Look around you! I'm not the only one who notices that our Head Girl is going to trigger off some disturbing sexual dreams." Blaise smirked, motioning at the rest of the male population with his hand. Draco looked around him. Was Blaise blind? He couldn't see _that_ many boys looking at her, only a few…Maybe one third or something…

"They're crazy. You're crazy. She's an annoying Mudblood Gryffindor, and she'll never change from that." Draco replied firmly and pushed his plate away, not feeling hungry anymore. Blaise shook his head.

"Whatever you say, Draco. It's all about the body and the looks, you should know…" Blaise muttered and said no further words about Hermione Granger.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The feast ended quite quickly. Hermione and the rest of the school were wondering who was going to be the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher this year, but strangely enough, the Headmaster had not informed about it during the start-of-term feast. She suspected that the school would probably get to know about him or her the following morning. Or perhaps Dumbledore hadn't hired anyone for the job, knowing that they were not going to last longer than one year. The teacher who had been the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher last year had ended up in St Mungo's Hospital because of a serious brain damage that had happened in one class. Poor man had to accompany Gilderoy Lockhart in his ward…

Once the students filed out of the Great Hall into the corridors that lead to all four common rooms, Hermione, Harry, Ron and Ginny stood up from the Gryffindor table and headed for the oak doors in a slow pace. Hermione was still hearing her name being whispered and giggled at, but she would just bark the truth at them and this stupid rumour, she didn't know about, would vanish. What had Draco told them? She sighed and suddenly someone pushed roughly past her, making her fall into Ron who caught her.

"Hey! Watch it!" Hermione hissed, irritated. Some younger student probably…

"No need, Granger. I'm the Pure-blood one and as you know, it's always Pure-bloods first, babe." an all too familiar voice drawled. Hermione struggled to regain her balance and shot away from Ron, pushing him away a bit too roughly.

"Babe?!" Hermione questioned with disgust. Draco stopped and turned, Blaise doing the same beside him, studying Hermione up and down hungrily. Draco opened his smirking mouth to speak but Hermione decided not to take his crap this time. "Excuse me. Can you feel that nasty stench that floats around here?" she asked her friends. They looked at her in question. Hermione shrugged and glared at Draco. "Must be one albino ferret's droppings." she answered her question and held her head high as she walked past the two Slytherins, leaving her friends in fits of laughter.

"She definitely has a crush on you, Draco." Blaise said with a smirk. "I wish I'd seen her strip…" he continued and chuckled as Hermione stopped dead in her tracks.

They did not notice that they were blocking the entrance and the remaining students did not get through and a crowd was forming around the two Slytherin males and the Gryffindors.

"What the hell did you just say?!" Hermione shrieked, turning quickly around. Her face flushed with anger and her hands clenched into fists.

"Things." Blaise answered, grinning like a fool. "So, you want to strip for me too, Granger?" he asked, running his tongue over his lips as he looked at her intensely. Her flashing eyes turned to Draco who was trying to hold his laughter.

"Malfoy! You insufferable lying bastard!" Hermione yelled, grabbing out her wand and pointing it at him in a quick move, surprising everyone. Draco just smirked at her.

"You said bastard again. You shouldn't swear, Granger." Draco told her calmly. "And stop yelling, it gives you wrinkles." he added with a chuckle.

"Yeah, you know about wrinkles and stuff, Miss Universe." Hermione hissed, gripping her wand tightly.

"Oh, I thank you, Granger. I didn't know you reckon I'm the most gorgeous one in the entire Universe…" Draco smirked. Hermione cried out in frustration.

"Well, now you know, _Miss _Malfoy." she replied with narrowed eyes. She lowered her wand and glared at them both. Harry, Ron and Ginny walked to her and they went towards the staircase, ignoring the Slytherins completely.

"You can run with the parentless Potty and the second-hand Weasel-furs, but you can't hide!" Draco's cold voice cut through the air and Hermione stopped once again.

"You were born tactless." she whispered, turning sharply around, glaring at him with all her might. Why couldn't looks just kill? He'd drop dead in a second for sure. Without a warning, Hermione whipped her wand out of her pocket and strode back to Draco, pointing her wand at him dangerously. "Apologise to my friends right now, Malfoy, or I swear you'll see what my hexes can do." she hissed at his face but Draco did not look scared. On the contrary, he couldn't have been calmer. He snapped her wand away with a smirk.

"Don't play with dangerous tools, Granger. You might get hurt, baby." Draco whispered back pleasantly, twirling her wand between his fingers. Hermione's face was red again. Her anger was getting the best of her and suddenly –

"Detention, Malfoy, for stealing my wand." Hermione said suddenly as she snatched her wand back from Draco's hand. Just insulting her friends would not be a reason to give detention. "Tomorrow six o'clock." she spat as Harry and Ron grinned in triumph! "You know it's against the rules to strip another student from her or his wand." Draco stared at her with his mouth slightly open. Did he just get get detention from her?!

That was a hard blow on his self-confidence.

Harry and Ron could've jumped in joy knowing that Draco had got detention by Hermione. "I'll let professor Snape know about that tonight, Ferret." Hermione spoke clearly, feeling very powerful.

"No need, Miss Granger. I am here." Snape's oily voice said behind her. Hermione turned around facing the greasy-haired professor as she placing her wand back into her pocket. "Now, tell me what's wrong?" he asked, his mouth curving into a mean smile.

"Well, I gave Malfoy detention because he took my wand from my hand and you know it's against the rules, professor." said Hermione professionally. Snape glanced at Malfoy, seeing no kind of emotion on his face, he turned back to her.

"Hmm, are you sure that's enough of a reason to give him detention, Miss Granger?" Snape questioned wickedly.

"Yes. He was out of line and rude."

"Oh, in that case, why don't _you_ supervise his detention tomorrow six o'clock?" Snape said to her as Hermione's jaw dropped open.

"What?! But – but I can't! I mean – I have my tasks and duties as Head Girl!" Hermione exclaimed, shocked. Snape's smirk did not fall though.

"You should've thought about your tasks and duties _before_ you gave Mr Malfoy detention without a good reason!" the potions professor hissed, glaring at her. Hermione was appalled. This was NOT happening. She had meant to give Draco detention with FILCH, not with herself! "You should think twice before using your 'powers' to give your rivals unnecessary punishments!" he continued menacingly. Hermione stared with her eyes wide open.

"I-I didn't –" she stuttered, but Snape just gave her an evil smirk before rushing past her towards the dungeons, his black robes billowing behind him. Hermione turned to Draco, her eyes flashing.

Draco and Hermione glared at each other.

"You twisted twit! Look what you did!" Hermione screamed and fled from the corridor, Harry, Ron, Ginny and the rest of her friends parading after her. Draco glared at their retreating backs with disgust. They're all following her like she's some bloody Princess…

"Look what _I_ did?! Look what _you_ did, Mudblood…" Draco muttered so that no one heard him.

"You're a lucky bastard, Draco." Blaise's voice said behind him and he turned around to look at his smirking face.

"Lucky? How the hell am I lucky, Zabini?! I just got fucking detention from fucking Granger the Mudblood Princess and now fucking Snape told her to supervise my fucking detention!?" Draco yelled in anger. Blaise laughed.

"Fuck yeah! You get to spend time with her, you dolt! And besides, yelling gives you wrinkles, my friend." Blaise said before walked down towards their dungeon common room, humming a happy song.

"Time with _her_? Who would want to spend time with _her_?! Argh! Annoying fucks the lot of them…" Draco growled and headed after Blaise.

"Drakieeee…" a seductive voice purred into his ear as soft hands covered his eyes from behind him. "Guess whoooooo?" the voice continued and Draco sighed in tiredness.

"Pansy." Draco said and removed the hands from his eyes, turning around he saw a pretty girl with black short hair standing in front of him with a smile on her face.

"Hello, Draco." Pansy Parkinson said in a low voice, giving Draco a tight hug, making sure their bodies made contact. He smirked over her shoulder as his hands rubbed her lower back. "Had a nice summer, babe?" she asked.

"Yeah, I had fun. You?" Draco asked, brushing his lips over hers swiftly, making her excited in haste. This was it. A normal start of his year. It would be like this for the rest of year as well. Pansy this and that. Pansy throughout the year…

"I have a new tattoo…" she told him into his ear, her breath tickling his skin as her hands sneaked inside his shirt and ran over his toned abdomen.

"Really? Where?" he asked, knowing that she had one from before. Pansy giggled and took a step back to look at him.

"Well, I could show you where it is, honey." Pansy said, taking his hand in hers, leading him along the corridor into an abandoned classroom deep down in the very dungeons of the castle. Why did he go with this? He wanted something different, yet Pansy was the object to pour his anger and stress in. She knew what made him relaxed and relaxation was the thing he needed right now…after that – encounter – with Hermione. "Come here, Draco." Pansy's voice said seductively in the darkness of the room and soon the pair of them were panting and sweating as they rocked back and forth in rhythm, moaning in ecstasy…

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Hermione twisted and turned in her bed, cold sweat running down her forehead as her body writhed in her nightmare. A sudden crash made her jolt awake into a dark Head Girl room. The crash had been so real. Looking around her and the bed, she heard a meow from the left side of her bed and saw Crookshanks jump down from her nightstand after accidentally pushing a water glass into the floor. That had been the crash. It was real but not like that. It hadn't been _the_ crash…

Lying back down, she stared at the crimson canopy of her large four-poster bed. Although it was dark, she could see blue stars printed into the fabric above her. Narrowing her eyes to see better in the darkness, the small blue dots made her realise something important.

"The blue sparks…" she whispered and gasped.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_To Be Continued…_

* * *

**Author's Note:** I hope that wasn't too strange or cliché. I know that the plot is going on slow, but I want it to, so just try to cope with me, alright. Anyway, the plot is thickening and I know that nothing much happened in this chapter, but the next one will be more eventful, I promise you that. Thanks for all the reviews I received; **potts****, SomeRockerGirl, Thucci, shutupheather (**I'm trying to make it more R, I promise!**), Jack-Sparrow-Lover, JayOrin, arwen's-foil, Kelseri, Sesshoumaru's wife, Eggplant and Caviar, In Dreams (**YOU guessed the Head Boy correctly!!! YAY for you!!! A Hogwarts castle (a new special one with many extras) will be delivered to you by Fed Ex's owls! :D**), Queen of Serpents, babyface78, Timra, Alexis, harry-potter-fan145, elvenrarehunter and Bride of Malfoy!** Thank you soooooooooooooooooooo much! 3 I hope that Mrs Weasley got my letter and that she sends you all some cakes and pies I asked her to. :)

Thank you again and I hope you enjoyed this chapter, now PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!

PS: I might change this chapter because I didn't like it much. But if not, keep checking out for the next chappie! :D

Hugglesssssss! 3

_Revised version_


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